SWCG and sacrificial anodes

[chem geek]

You don't put the sacrificial anode in the pool water itself! The sacrificial anode is put into moist soil (i.e. grounded) and electrically connected with a wire you then attach to the bonding wire that connects all the metal in your pool and the equipment at the pool pad that is in contact with the water.

The PB that put in my pool uses them in saltwater chlorine generator pools that have automatic electric safety covers with vanishing header bars since they are aluminum and can corrode more quickly in saltier water. He had a problem with them and was told to do this by the pool cover manufacturer and it solved the problem with his pools. As for whether it is needed in other situations, that depends on the quality of the metal in contact with pool water. High quality stainless steel may not need it, but technically corrosion rates are faster in saltier water -- it's just whether corroding in 10 years vs. 30 makes any difference or whether it's really 3 vs. 9 or 20 vs. 60.

[JimK]

You don't put the sacrificial anode in the pool water itself! The sacrificial anode is put into moist soil (i.e. grounded) and electrically connected with a wire you then attach to the bonding wire that connects all the metal in your pool and the equipment at the pool pad that is in contact with the water.

The PB that put in my pool uses them in saltwater chlorine generator pools that have automatic electric safety covers with vanishing header bars since they are aluminum and can corrode more quickly in saltier water. He had a problem with them and was told to do this by the pool cover manufacturer and it solved the problem with his pools. As for whether it is needed in other situations, that depends on the quality of the metal in contact with pool water. High quality stainless steel may not need it, but technically corrosion rates are faster in saltier water -- it's just whether corroding in 10 years vs. 30 makes any difference or whether it's really 3 vs. 9 or 20 vs. 60.

Thanks for the correction. I was thinking of anodes like used in hot water heaters.